


A Court of Sand and Shadows

by newdog14



Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Based on the 1999 film, Canon Typical Violence, Egyptology, Elain and Az aren't the primary focus fair warning, F/M, Fluff, Mummy AU, Nessian - Freeform, No need to have seen it though, People may die sorry, Sarcasm, gun and sword based violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-07-29
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:22:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24636019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/newdog14/pseuds/newdog14
Summary: Nesta Archeron has been waiting many years for her chance to leave her mark on the world of Egyptology, and when her sister stumbles upon a map to an ancient city she finally finds it. With her dreams finally within her reach, nothing will stop her: not her boss, not the American explorers, and certainly not the obnoxious, not at all charming, brute of a guide she and her sister have hired to take them to the city.But there is something else lying in wait below the sand and shadows of the desert; something ancient, powerful, and wrathful.
Relationships: Elain Archeron & Nesta Archeron, Elain Archeron/Azriel, Nesta Archeron/Cassian
Comments: 3
Kudos: 26





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The JurdanNet server is full of brilliant and clever enablers, who inspired this story. I hope you all find it enjoyable!

Thousands of years ago, in the heart of Egypt, there lived a priestess more powerful than any who had come before or after. It was said that no magic was beyond her power; she could breathe life into stone, turn men to dust, and raise storms with a wave of her hand. Her followers claimed that she could raise the dead, and that she herself was inhuman. 

She was feared above all, her name only spoken in whispers,  _ Amren _ . For years the Pharaoh kept her placated, granting her vast wealth in exchange for her services, but the priestess was greedy and dangerous, and the Pharaoh feared the day that gold and jewels would not be enough. So he decided to do away with her for all eternity.

He consulted with his other priests, and together the men bound Amren to her body, and then cursed her to an endless life. She was mummified and buried alive, sealed away in a sarcophagus that was hidden in Hamanatra, the City of the Dead, and all who followed her were buried and killed along with her. She swore vengeance upon all of Egypt for their betrayal, but the Pharaoh believed that she would never be free again, so the world would be safe from her wrath.

Centuries passed, and Egypt fell as magic was forgotten by the world. But even as the world moved on, Amren did not, her wrath burning hotter than the desert sand above her tomb. Even in death, her soul found no peace, no rest, forever awaiting the day when some fool would release her from her prison, and she might take her revenge upon the world.

~~~

The ancient City of the Dead was not left unguarded, as the company of American soldiers who had stumbled upon it were about to learn. The men had heard tales of the Ancient Egyptian city, and they had not hesitated to follow those legends into the desert, driven by dreams of wealth and glory.

They were rethinking that rashness now, as they lined up to face a mysterious army that rode on horseback, with only the ruins of the city to provide cover. They didn’t know who they were fighting, only that their enemy wanted them gone.

“Ready to die fighting, then?” said one man to another, lining up the sights of his rifle with care.

“We’re not going to die, Jurian,” said the other soldier, his voice more certain than it had any right to be.

“Well I’m glad one of us has confidence,” Jurian responded cheerfully.

The desert riders charged across the sand, their horses kicking up a cloud of dust that made it difficult for the soldiers to line up clear shots. The soldiers scattered when the riders reached them, and the sound of thundering hooves mixed with screams and gunshots. The two soldiers were separated in the commotion, one finding refuge inside a stone building and the other fighting for his life.

As the violence spread and blood spilled, something awoke within the ruins. Something ancient and angry that caught on the wind, and just as quickly as they had appeared the riders fled back into the desert. With no further death to feed it, the ancient power sunk back into the sand, and the city was silent once more.

The few scattered men who survived followed them, all unsure of what they’d witnessed but thankful for their lives all the same. Most of them vowed never to return, to leave the cursed city behind and never speak of it again.

But some men do not forget so easily, and their dreams of wealth and glory lived on.

~~~

Nesta scowled as she returned the books to their proper places. The scholars who came to the library never cared about the careful order she cultivated.  _ The pompous old fools _ .

She did her best to get rid of them whenever they turned up, though she knew her boss didn’t much care for it.  _ She _ didn’t care much for him, though, or his lecturing.

“You’re the single most unpleasant woman I’ve ever had the misfortune of working with,” Rhysand said, glaring at her. “This is a  _ library _ . We’re  _ supposed _ to have visitors.”

“Well then perhaps they should respect it, instead of just leaving books strewn about in any possible convenient place,” Nesta snapped, turning back to her stacking.

“ _ Why _ do I put up with you?” he groaned.

“You put up with me,” she hissed, “Because I can write and read Ancient Egyptian. You put up with me because I can decipher Hieroglyphics and Hierarchic. You put up with me because I am the  _ only _ person within a thousand miles who knows how to properly keep order in this library.”

Rhysand scoffed. “ _ I _ put up with you as a favor to your sister. Keep up your attitude, though, and we’ll see how long that lasts.”

He turned and left, and Nesta’s face twisted into a silent snarl. She hated the thought that even as talented and brilliant as she knew she was, she only had this position because of Feyre having married the curator. She hated that because she was a woman, no academics would take her seriously in her field, even when she was smarter and more well read than over half of them. Most of all, she hated the thought that this might be all life would ever hold for her.

In her anger she found she couldn’t focus on ordering her books, so she left them for now, instead making her way deep into the archives so that she might have time to clear her head. She felt calmer among the artifacts kept within the museum, at peace among the works of ancient stone and metal. She paused when she heard the scuff of footsteps behind her, then whirled around to scold whoever had wandered into the archive, but her anger melted when she took in her sister.

“Elain? What are you doing here?”

“Looking for you. I think I’ve found something you’re going to like,” Elain said, grinning widely at her. Nesta took in her sister’s excitement with wary eyes. “You remember my foresting project? Well, I was planting a few more trees, and as I was digging I found this odd little Egyptian artifact. I’ve never seen anything like it in the museums, so I think it might be special.”

Nesta bit back her sigh as Elain started digging through her bag. “I’ll take a look, Elain, but please don’t get your hopes up. Archaeology wouldn’t be so elite if important artifacts could be found in anyone’s garden project. It’s probably just some piece of—”

Nesta broke off as Elain presented her with the small metal box. She inspected it carefully; it was clearly old, and covered in strange markings. As she traced the engravings, several of the lines stood out to her; they crossed the top of the box, but the edges felt different, almost like hinges. She traced the lines of the box again, this time looking for some switch or mechanism. Her fingers caught on a small pressure plate, and she grinned as the box sprung open to reveal a folded piece of paper.

Nesta carefully pulled the paper from the box; it was old and yellow, but it did not crumble as she unfolded it, revealing a map. Her eyes widened as she scanned the symbols, if this map was what it claimed to be…

“So, is it worth something?” Elain asked quietly.

“Elain...if this is what I think it is, you may have stumbled upon the greatest find in the history of Egyptology,” Nesta said, finally looking back to her sister. Her eyes narrowed. “Where did you say you found this?”

“Er, just in the forest project,” Elain said, not meeting her eyes. Nesta didn’t quite believe her, but as her eyes dropped back to the paper, she decided not to press. However Elain had found the artifact, Nesta cared more about where it could lead her than where it had come from.

“Come with me, I need to show this to Rhysand. He’s going to  _ hate _ that he’ll have to share such an important discovery with me,” Nesta said, grinning smugly as she thought of the sour look he’d likely make.

~~~

As it turned out, she couldn’t have been more wrong.

“You can’t honestly think that this could be real, do you?” Rhysand said dryly, giving the map an unimpressed once over. 

“It bears the seal of the second Pharaoh, and I’ve already dated it—” Nesta began, but Rhysand cut her off.

“Yes, yes, it’s very old, but following this map would only lead you to be stranded in the middle of the desert,” Rhysand said dismissively.

“Or it could lead us to the lost city of Hamanatra, as indicated by these cartouches,” Nesta said, trying to keep her frustration out of her voice. “If we could just organize an expedition—”

“Hamanatra is a myth,” Rhysand said firmly. “And I will not waste time and resources on chasing it.”

“My research suggests that while much about the city was exaggerated fiction, it itself  _ does  _ exist,” Nesta said, “If we were to find it, we’ll have made the discovery of the ages.”

“You’re starting to sound like a treasure hunter instead of a librarian, Nesta,” Rhysand said, but he did start examining the map a bit closer.

“Er, what exactly  _ is _ Hamanatra?” Elain asked, and Nesta could see the light of curiosity in her soft brown eyes. Her rage at Rhysand eased as she turned to her sister.

“Hamanatra is the City of the Dead, it’s said to be a place where the dead can be brought back to life, and where the Egyptians buried many of their most powerful artifacts. That’s all nonsense, of course, but there are almost certainly many historical and cultural artifacts to be found,” Nesta explained, moving closer to Elain as she explained. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Rhysand bringing the map closer to the candlelight. She hoped his closer examination meant that he would change his mind about the expedition. There were so many incredible things to find, if only they went looking. “And it’s said that the Book of Amen Ra is buried there, a spellbook made of gold.”

“Shit!” Rhysand exclaimed, and Nesta turned to see that the map had caught fire. He dropped it, and Nesta rushed to put out the flames before the precious parchment was totally destroyed, but even with her haste she couldn’t save all of it.

“What have you done?” Nesta shrieked, taking in the map. Most of it was still readable, but for the city itself, arguably the most important piece of the map. “You’ve burned away Hamanatra! How could you be so careless, you, you—”

“It’s for the best, I’m sure,” Rhysand said, as if he hadn’t just nearly destroyed a priceless artifact. “No one has ever found Hamanatra, because it just doesn’t exist. You’ll only be wasting your time looking for it. You’ve got a promising future here at the library, if you want my advice, you’ll forget all about that pointless treasure hunt.”

Rhysand stood and left the room, leaving Nesta kneeling on the floor, trembling with rage. She had never been so angry in her life, and she felt as if she herself might be about to burst into flames.

“Nesta?” Elain asked, her voice quiet and careful, as though she could sense that her older sister was one moment away from exploding in anger. It was that nervousness that helped Nesta to calm down. No matter how frustrated she was, she couldn’t stand for Elain thinking that Nesta might take it all out on her.

“I’m fine. I just...I thought he’d…” Nesta trailed off, her anger turned inwards. Why had she ever thought that Rhysand would support her in finding Hamanatra? For all that he talked about her promising future, he’d never once actually helped her pursue it. He could barely even tolerate her. “It doesn’t matter what I thought.”

Elain knelt beside her sister, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Well who needs him anyway? We can find the city ourselves, can’t we? Dad left us with plenty of money.”

“Except that the map is burned,” Nesta said, “Even if we go, I won’t be able to guide us there. But...maybe there are other clues to where we need to go. Where exactly did you find the box? Perhaps there are other artifacts nearby that will hold some answers.”

Elain looked away, biting her lip with uncertainty. “Right. Er, about that…”


	2. Chapter 2

Nesta frowned as she and Elain made her through the prison complex, keeping close behind their guide. It was noisy and loud, and filled with unpleasant men.

“I can’t believe that _you_ stole from someone,” Nesta muttered to her sister. “I’ve come to expect this sort of thing from Feyre, but not from _you._ ”

“I didn’t steal it!” Elain said, affronted. “I just...picked it up when it was dropped, and then didn’t return it.”

Nesta snorted. “I’m fairly certain that that’s stealing, Elain.”

“Oh, as if he had any need of it, getting arrested and all,” Elain huffed and looked away, and Nesta bit her lip to keep from laughing.

“Just this way, ladies,” said the man guiding them, coming to a stop in front of a small cell, with a single door in the stone wall behind it. “You’ll have to be quick though, he’s meant to be hanged this afternoon.”

Nesta frowned in distaste at the man’s nonchalant attitude, but then the door was opening and a disheveled, brutish man was shoved through the doorway. He was covered in dirt and grime, and his long black hair was a tangled mess. She supposed that that could only be expected, given his current location, but it did little to endear him to her. Nesta approached warily as he was shoved up against the bars.

“Well hello there, sweetheart,” he said in a thick American accent, giving her an obvious once over as he spoke. Nesta glared at him. “What can I do for you?”

“I have a few questions for you, regarding an artifact that was in your possession,” Nesta said, making no effort to hide her distaste.

“You’re here about Hamanatra then,” he said, rolling his eyes. Nesta couldn’t hide her surprise quickly enough, and he smirked at her.

“How do _you_ know about Hamanatra?” she asked. This man _hardly_ looked like an academic.

“Because the only artifact I’ve had recently was a little box, which I found while _in_ Hamanatra,” he said, his grin widening at whatever face she made. Nesta didn’t care though, because he’d just confirmed that the city was real, and that was more than she had expected from this visit.

“Can you tell me how to get there?” She asked, forgetting to hide her interest for the moment. He grinned and beckoned her closer and closer, until she was crouching down and so close to the bars that there was barely a few inches between them.

Then he reached through and grabbed her chin, kissing her roughly before she could pull away. It only lasted a second, but Nesta felt her face heating with a mix of rage and embarrassment. “Get me out of here before they kill me and I will personally guide you there.”

The guards pulled him away before she could argue, though she was so shocked by his actions that she wasn’t sure that she would have been able to form a coherent sentence just then. He pulled free long enough to call back to her, “Clock’s ticking, sweetheart!”

And then he was shoved back through the door.

Nesta stood abruptly, and whirled on the man who had led them to the bars. He flinched back from her glare, but she didn’t care. “Take me to the man in charge, now!”

“Yes Ma’am, right away!” he said, stumbling in his haste to lead them away. Elain laughed quietly before turning to follow.

~~~

Nesta took a seat by the man who ran the prison, a burly, stern looking man by the name of Devlon. She had never tried to bargain for a man’s life before, and she could only hope that money would be enough.

“So, you’re looking to free Cassian, eh?” he said, sizing her up as she took a seat next to him. They sat on a mezzanine overlooking the courtyard where the gallows were kept, and she frowned as she saw Cassian being led towards them. “What do I get for that? He’s a dangerous criminal.”

“I’ll give you one hundred pounds,” Nesta said. Devlon laughed at her. “Two hundred?”

“Do you know the trouble this man has caused?” He asked. Cassian had reached the gallows.

“Five hundred then!” Nesta said, her eyes flicking to where the executioner was fitting the rope over Cassian’s head. Devlon shook his head.

“Why are you so interested in this man?” Devlon asked her, watching her carefully. Nesta hesitated for slightly too long, and Devlon waved his hand to signal the executioner. Cassian dropped, and the rope pulled taunt, but not fast enough to snap his neck. 

“He knows the way to Hamanatra!” Nesta said, desperate as Cassian dangled. “And if you let him go, we’ll give you ten percent of whatever we find.”

“Forty,” Devlon countered.

“Fifteen.”

“Thirty-five.”

“Twenty.”

Twenty-five,” Devlon said, and while Nesta didn’t like it, a quick glance to Cassian showed that she didn’t have much time.

“Deal.”

“Cut him down!” Devlon yelled, and Nesta breathed a sigh of relief as the men followed through with the command. Cassian hit the ground with a thump. “It was a pleasure doing business with you, Miss Archeron.”

Nesta didn’t let herself glare at him until he’d turned his back. 

~~~

Elain followed her sister closely as they pushed their way through the crowed dock. Their boat wasn’t much further, thankfully, but there was no sense of order among the endless throngs of people. Elain held tight to Nesta’s elbow, certain that letting go would mean being swept away in the crowd. 

They had just reached the gangway when they were approached by a broad shouldered man with long black hair, and it wasn’t until he spoke that Elain recognized him as Cassian, their recently acquired guide. Elain thought that he’d cleaned up rather well, though Nesta made a show of seeming unimpressed.

“It’s good to see you again, sweetheart,” he said, giving Nesta a smirk. Her sister frowned at him, but he didn’t seem deterred. “Thanks for getting me out of there.”

“I only did it so that you’d take us to Hamanatra,” she said, giving him a disdainful look. “In any other situation I would have gladly let them hang you.”

Nesta marched off without a second glance, which meant she didn’t notice the way Cassian stared after her. Elain smiled to herself. “Don’t listen to her, she’s lying through her teeth.”

Cassian grinned. “Well that’s good to know. I was starting to worry that she might be holding that kiss against me.”

“Oh, she surely is,” Elain said, “But if it bothered her as much as she’s pretending it did, she would never have bargained for your life, no matter what ancient city you knew the way to.”

Cassian snorted, then offered her his arm. Elain took it and let him lead the way aboard the ship. They had just gotten onto the main deck when someone pushed past Elain, jostling her rudely. She would have stumbled if not for Cassian, and she mustered her best glare before turning toward the culprit, though it melted into surprise when she saw the culprit.

“Devlon? I didn’t realize you were joining us.”

“I’m protecting my investment,” he said, glancing disdainfully at Cassian. “I’d prefer not to take the chance of being swindled.”

He turned on his heel and left, and Elain frowned at him. He was such a rude man. 

“Well, this will be an interesting trip,” Cassian said, giving her a crooked smile.

“Hopefully not _too_ interesting,” Elain said, releasing Cassian’s arm. “I best go find Nesta and get settled in.”

“Of course,” he said, “I suppose I should do the same.”

Elain smiled at him before they parted ways. She had been a bit nervous about this expedition, but with Cassian around she felt much better about everything. Regardless of where they’d found him, she was confident that he wouldn’t let anything happen to her or her sister. They were lucky, really, that their guide was a good man. Given that they’d pulled him from death row, they could have gotten someone much worse.


	3. Chapter 3

By the time the sun started to set, Elain had walked around every inch of the boat, and she was bored. Nesta had been smart, bringing books to occupy her during the voyage, but Elain had never been one for sitting around for long periods of time. She liked to move and do and make, and she couldn’t stand the idleness that plagued her now.

She sighed as she watched the sun sink over the horizon, leaning against the railing and trying to think of what to do. She was so lost in thought that she didn’t see the gentleman who approached her until he spoke.

“It’s a lovely view, isn’t it?” he said, and Elain turned to face the man. He had long red hair, deeply tanned skin, and he looked perfectly at home in the desert heat, though his accent marked him as an American.

“I suppose so,” Elain said, turning back to the sunset, though she could feel his gaze on her. “It won’t last though.”

“Pity,” he said. For a moment he was quiet, and the sun finally dipped out of sight, painting the clouds in pinks and reds and yellows. “If you don’t have any plans for the rest of the night, my companions and I were thinking of starting a poker game, and you’d be more than welcome to join us.”

Elain thought about it, tilting her head back and humming. She wasn’t sure that she trusted this man’s intentions, but she  _ was _ bored, and poker could be fun. Some of the workmen on her forestation project played poker, and they’d taught her the basics. She had never been very good at bluffing, but this man and his friends didn’t know that, and she could probably get through a good few rounds before they figured it out.

“Alright,” she said, giving him a smile. He returned it tenfold, and he led her to a table on the main deck that was occupied by another red haired man, a tall, burly blond man, and a lithe young woman with dark hair and sharp eyes. 

“There you are, Lucien,” said the red haired man. “We were starting to think you’d gotten lost.”

“Who’s your friend,” asked the woman, eyeing Elain over her drink. 

“Elain Archeon,” she said, taking her seat. 

Lucien took a seat next to her and gestured to his companions as he introduced them. “This is Tamlin, my brother Eris, and Ianthe.”

Elain nodded to them as Tamlin cut the deck, and when a waiter dropped by she ordered herself a drink. Elain wasn’t very good at poker, but the Americans she was playing against were all well on their way to being drunk, and that gave her the appearance of being fairly good for the first few rounds.

It helped that they were a talkative bunch, and that Lucien was more interested in flirting with her than playing the game. It wasn’t long before they got to talking about why they were all on the ferry, and Elain couldn’t hide her surprise at learning that this group was  _ also _ making their way to Hamanatra.

It wasn’t long after that revelation that Cassian found her, and while she smiled happily at him when he came over, he had a frown fixed on his face.

“You alright there, Elain?” he asked, taking in the bright eyes and obvious flush that made it clear that the small woman had been drinking.

“I’m wonderful!” she said, giggling as she turned to her new friends. “Everyone, this is Cassian. He’s helping my sister and I.”

“I’m glad you found someone to protect you,” Ianthe said, eyeing Cassian approvingly. “Hamanatra is a dangerous place.”

Cassian stiffened. “What makes you think we’d be going there?”

Eris snorted and gestured to Elain, who gave Cassian a sheepish look. “I didn’t  _ mean  _ to say anything, but then they said they were going there too!”

“Really now?” Cassian asked, taking in the group again. He couldn’t imagine how they thought they would be getting there, and didn’t hesitate to say as much.

Tamlin smiled at him. “We’ve got a guide who’s been there.”

Cassian raised his eyebrows, but thinking it over, he thought he might have had an idea of who their guide might be. He turned back to Elain. “I’m going to find your sister. Try not to get into too much trouble, will ya?”

Elain laughed and waved him off, while Cassian went to search the boat. He  _ was _ going to look for Nesta, but he now had a secondary target in mind as he scanned the passengers. He found Nesta first though, sitting alone at a table and reading a book.

“Well hey there, sweetheart,” he said, taking a seat at the chair across from him. Nesta looked up at him with a glare.

“What do  _ you  _ want?” she snapped, though she closed her book, which Cassian took as an encouraging sign.

“I just thought I’d check in,” he said, shrugging. “Your sister made some friends who happen to be heading the same way we are.”

Nesta frowned out at the water. “Of course she did. Will that be an issue?”

“I have no idea,” he said honestly. Nesta said nothing, her angry gaze fixed out over the water. Cassian watched her carefully, taking in the sharp lines of her face and wondering if they could be softened by a smile.

Nesta finally looked back at him, though she didn’t seem happy that he was still there. “Just what do you think you’re looking at?”

“A beautiful woman,” Cassian said, grinning as she glared at him. Nesta huffed and looked away. Cassian watched her, wondering what had made her so angry, carefully going back over their interactions, and then remembering. “Oh. You’re not still mad about that kiss, are you?”

Nesta snapped back to face him with a withering glare. “ _ Of course _ I’m still mad! Where do you get off, just kissing women without asking?”

“I was about to die, it seemed like the sort of thing to do before getting hanged,” Cassian said, shrugging. Nesta’s glare intensified, and then she was out of her seat and storming away from him. Cassian sighed as he watched her walk away, wondering if he should chase after her or let her cool off a bit first.

His decision is made for him when he spots a familiar face walking onto the deck, but he resolves to check in on Nesta later that evening. In the meantime, he quietly catches up with his old comrade, and slings an arm around the other man’s shoulders.

“Fancy seeing you here, Jurian,” he says brightly, grinning. “Guess we didn’t die after all.”

“Lucky us, right?” Jurian says, rolling his eyes and pulling away.

“I hear you’re leading tours of Hamanatra now,” Cassian says, feigning casualness.

“Unfortunately,” Jurian says. “I was hoping to lead them out into the desert, but apparently Americans have gotten smarter since we shipped out, cause I don’t get paid in full until they’re safely back in Cairo.”

“Poor you,” Cassian said.

“What about you then?” Jurian asked. “If you’re asking around about Hamanatra I can only assume that you’re going back too.”

Cassian sighed. “I might have found myself indebted to some young ladies who were interested in finding Hamanatra.”

“I should have known there was a woman involved,” Jurian said, shaking his head. “Nothing else could get you to do something so stupid.”

“You’re one to talk,” Cassian grumbled, but Jurian just rolled his eyes.

“Well unfortunately for you, I’m afraid you’ll be disappointing your lady friend,” Jurian said, “As my team will be the first to arrive at Hamanatra, and I can’t see them sharing their find.”

“Oh really?” Cassian asked, taking in Jurian’s apologetic grin with appraising eyes. Jurian was his friend and comrade in arms, but he owed Nesta his life. She’d be very upset if they lost the dig site, and he was certain that she’d take out her anger on  _ him _ . Cassian smiled. “Well, then I’m really sorry about this.”

Then he grabbed Jurian by the shoulders and tossed him over the boat railing. 

“Fuck you, Cassian!” Jurian said, spluttering and splashing as he tried to keep himself afloat. 

“I’m afraid you’re not really my type, Jurian,” he said, whistling an upbeat tune to himself as he walked away, leaving Jurian to curse his name as he tried to find a way back aboard the ship. 

With Jurian handled, all he had to do was get Nests to forgive him. He could only hope that hearing that their rivals’ travel guide had been thrown overboard would put her in a better mood. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I began posting chapters, I'd meant to update once a week. Then I moved, and time began to loose it's meaning. Sorry for that.

Nesta stalked back and forth across the cabin she shared with Elain, glaring at the mirror whenever it caught her eye and brushing out her hair with more force than was strictly necessary. 

“The nerve of that  _ brute, _ ” she grumbled, ignoring the little part of her that had been hurt by his callous attitude towards kissing her. She was angry because he overstepped,  _ not _ because she had wanted some kind of confession. She was a scholar and an explorer, and she would  _ not _ be distracted by some muscle bound soldier with stupid eyes. 

She found herself looking at her map, taking in the ancient lines and calming herself with the idea that she’d soon be standing in the city they led to. 

The cabin door opened, and Nesta addressed her sister without turning. “All done sharing our secrets with random Americans?”

“Where is the map?”

Nesta whirled at the snarled question, and found herself facing a man dressed in black pointing a sword at her. She glanced at the map out of the corner of her eye, and as he tracked the movement she wondered just what she’d gotten herself into with this trip.

The man lunged for the map, and Nesta ducked out of his way to avoid being stabbed. He searched the table, then whirled on her again. “Give me the key!”

Nesta opened her mouth to tell him that she had no idea what he was talking about, but was cut off by a knock at the cabin door, and instead she decided on simply screaming, “Help!”

Cassian opened the door with enough force that he probably damaged it, and the mysterious swordsman turned to face him. Nesta ran toward the door as the two men ran at each other, ignoring the various crashes and grunts that ensued. She was halfway down the hall before she remembered the map, and she raced back for it, only to be stopped by Cassian.

“We gotta go!” he said, grabbing her arm and pulling, though not fast enough to keep her from seeing the  _ fire _ now blazing through her cabin.

“But the map!” 

“I know the way, I promise,” he said, still pulling her down the hall.

~~~

Elain’s luck had just started to run out when the boat was attacked. Really, if not for the sword wielding strangers trying to kill her, she would have said it was lucky, because Eiris had been just seconds away from taking all of her chips, and now he could never prove that she’d been bluffing the whole round.

Still, strange men with swords were far from ideal, and while the Americans seemed perfectly happy to charge after them guns blazing, Elain and Ianthe were unarmed and had no option but to run. She had hoped they might at least stay together, but Ianthe had slipped away without a word, and Elain had no idea where the other woman had gone.

So instead she set off to find her sister, and ran into the belly of the ship toward their cabin. Nesta wasn’t there, but that was probably for the best, as the cabin was on fire. The room was wrecked, with furniture and papers and clothing strewn everywhere, and there was another strange, sword wielding man unconscious on the floor, and Elain almost turned to go when she spotted a metallic gleam under a table.

She snatched the artifact before she’d even fully recognized it, and then tucked the small box that had started them on this quest into a pocket hidden in the folds of her skirt. She ran from the room before the man could wake, and then started making her way back up top.

The fighting had only gotten worse, and there were people running in every possible direction with no regard for those around them. Elain tried to push through and find Nesta, but the crowd shoved her this way and that in their panic, and she could find no sign of her sister, or anyone else she knew.

The next burst of gunfire was followed by an explosion, and Elain turned to see a column of flame rising up from the ship. The crowd thinned as people started to abandon ship, but Elain still couldn’t find Nesta.

Someone grabbed her arm, and she turned to face one of mysterious strangers who had attacked their boat. She froze, taking in his size and knowing there was no way she could ever overpower him. His face was covered by cloth so black it might have been made of shadows, but it was his eyes, warm and brown and watching her with concern, that calmed her enough to say, “I can’t find my sister.”

He jerked his head over the water, and Elain turned to see Nesta, Cassian, and Devlon swimming for the bank, their heads bobbing in the inky blackness. The weight of his hand vanished from her shoulder, and Elain turned to find that the strange man was gone.

The next round of gunshots startled her into action, and she followed the example of her fellow passengers and jumped over the side of the boat. The water was cold, and she’d underestimated how heavy her dress would be in the water, but she pushed her way to surface and started swimming to shore. She wasn’t swimming for long before Cassian met her and started towing her to the edge of the river.

Nesta barely waited until she was out of the water before latching onto her, running her hands over Elain’s shoulders and searching for injuries. “Elain! Are you okay? I’m so sorry we jumped without you, but we couldn’t  _ find _ you and then those  _ idiot _ Americans blew up a gas canister, and—”

“I’m okay, Nesta,” Elain said, finding Nesta’s hands and clasping them in her own. She took in her older sister, who even now, shivering and wet in nothing but a flimsy nightgown, was looking after her first. She decided not to mention the stranger who’d pointed her towards them, as the information was only likely to upset Nesta further.

“Come on, there’s a town not far from here,” Cassian said, nodding down the river to a faint set of lights. “We can pick up supplies there, and get Nesta something a little less revealing to wear.”

Nesta punched him in the arm, and Cassian made a face, as though he wasn’t really hurt but would pretend otherwise for the sake of her dignity, and then Nesta stomped off in the direction of the town.

“What about the others?” Elain asked, looking back to the flaming wreckage of the ferry boat.

“Looks like they’re coming out on the other side,” Cassian said, pointing across the water to where a group of men were trying to wrangle the horses. Elain recognized several of the Americans she’d been playing poker with among the chaos.

“They’ve got all of the horses,” Devlon said, frowning at Cassian as though this were his fault. “We should have swum to that side too.”

“We could have, but that would have put us on the wrong side of the river,” Cassian said, turning from the river and making his way toward the distant lights of the village. “We can buy some camels while we’re in town, if we haggle they won’t be that expensive.”

~~~

Elain was frowning as she attempted to haggle with the camel salesman. He wasn’t budging on the price, and even with Cassian standing at her back, he was leering at her in a way that made her wish she’d never asked to come along on this cursed trip.

“Oh, just, take the money!” She said, giving up on lowering his outlandish price. Cassian helped her lead their camels away, silently laughing at her.

“You know, he probably would have given them to us for free, if we’d traded him your sister,” he said, and laughed at the sharp look she sent his way. 

“Absolutely not! My sister is an invaluable member of this expedition,” Elain said, doing her best to imitate Nesta’s cold, pointed glares. Cassian seemed unphased, and she knew she’d failed. She turned away, back to where they were to meet Devlon and Nesta. As they approached, Nesta walked out of the crowd, wearing a layered, black dress bought from one of the locals, her face partially shrouded by fabric. It looked like someone had lined her eyes with a bit of kohl as well, and her blue-grey eyes were more piercing than ever for it.

“Yeah, sure she is,” Cassian said, attempting to sound sarcastic but coming across as more awestruck. Elain ducked her head to hide her smile, and wondered if he even realized how much he was staring.

“Are the camels sorted then?” Nesta snapped, her voice as hard as ever. “We have a long way to go yet, and I’d like to get started.”

“Of course, sweetheart,” Cassian said, grinning as she glared at him. “We’re just waiting on Devlon and the supplies.”

As he spoke the man appeared, with several sets of heavy looking saddle bags thrown over his shoulders. Cassian whistled, and Elain stepped out of the way as the two men loaded up the camels. 

As soon as the animals were settled and their supplies were secured, their small group of explorers set out into the desert.


End file.
